This Is Home
by Jedi Ani Unduli
Summary: Locked up and subdued, Wanda is left alone with her thoughts, until her cell is opened by someone. She never had it confirmed until now that she belonged to a family. Broken, maybe, but not gone. Captain America and Scarlet Witch family! bonding. Various vignettes, with no particular order to them.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: During my viewing of_ Captain America: Civil War _I was struck by the connection between Wanda aka the Scarlet Witch and Steve Rogers aka Captain America. It didn't appear to be romantic in any way; instead, it seemed to be more familial. Wanda, even after training for unknown number months, was still nervous about some of what she did in the opening scene. Captain America made sure to be present every step of the way for her. Her reaction to the suicide bomber was swift, and even though that action was reckless, she did it to protect him. Other than Vision, and possibly Black Widow, she doesn't interact with anyone else. Captain America is the one standing up immediately for her, keeping an eye on her during the briefing by the US Senator, protesting her treatment by Stark when he finds out (a little_ parental _there, eh Cap?), sending Hawkeye to break her out, and of course coming back to break her plus the rest of his team out. To me, I found their relationship to be more... similar to a father protecting his daughter. When I saw the last scene before the credits, where Cap is there to break everybody out, I thought this would be her response. Between_ Age of Ultron _and_ Civil War _, she's gone through a lot emotionally. There's not doubt that she's a strong character. However, going through what she did, especially being the new person, had to be somewhat of the equivalent of an emotional train wreck._

 _Disclaimer: None of this is mine, it will never be mine. Character study, this is. If you think that this means that I don't think that Wanda isn't a strong character, then you don't know the first thing about character development. Reviews are welcome._

It was over quick, one shot squeezed off before the guns were wrenched away and their owners fallen to the floor after a series of kicks, punches, and grunts. Wanda was only half aware of what was going on, however, and her thoughts being dark as they were combined with the device on her neck were enough to keep her from noticing. As soon as they had been taken to this prison, she had been straightjacketed and placed in this cell, the device on her neck placed to ensure if she did try anything, she would get the shock of a lifetime. She had tuned out her surroundings since then. Emotions drained out of her as she stared off into nothing, leaving her feel less than a husk of herself. The guilt from before, her inability to control the powers she held resulting in the deaths of many, was still present, but muted. One unexpected side effect of the device on her neck: she was dozing in and out of consciousness, her mental state unfocusing every few minutes to keep her under.

Vaguely she registered that it was quieter now than it had been earlier, although how much she didn't know. Time had also been left by the wayside since she had come here. She hadn't been much interested in taking interest, and she didn't care to start. Voices now began to fill the silence, different from the ones before. Again, she remained oblivious, though it became hard as snippets of the conversation began to take hold in her mind.

"... glad to see…"

"Well… you expect…"

"... last one... "

"I'll grab her." Those last words had grabbed her attention like nothing else. Anger quickly rose. How _dare_ they? What did they think, that she was worth them taking out of her confinement? If they decided to put her through torture for information (likely to be about Captain America), they'd be no better than HYDRA. She heard footsteps over to her cell door, and remained motionless. She remembered Black Widow teaching her how to keep her breathing steady, since that had been an issue for her during the early days of her training. All that running while extensively using her magic abilities had resulted in her being winded. She maintained her breathing, deep and slow, from before. A buzz resounded, the doors clanged open, and the footsteps came closer. Her heart pounded as fingers felt her restraints before moving up towards her neck, brushing the device ever so lightly. Whatever they wanted her for, she would fight them. To hell with what the others on her team might think of her! She hated being feared, she hated fighting her teammates, and she hated being confined for trying to stand up to their fear of her!

Tamping down her impatience surging within her, she maintained her steady breathing as the fingers took the device off her neck. Almost immediately as it left her skin, she could feel her powers rekindle within her. The straps were now being taken off one by one. Her vacant look remained on her face, helping her to look out of it.

"She doesn't look good. I hope her powers are returning, and that there aren't any lasting side effects." Recognition of the voice began to take root, but so focused on fighting back was she that when she felt the last strap loosed, she acted. Whirling towards the hands, she brought her own hands up, her power surging forth to trap her opponent still. Once she did that, she got a good look at him, and suddenly her initial recognition of the voice, connecting with the face, clicked.

"Well," Steve was standing in midair, his hands frozen out in front of him, and his feet stilled. He attempted to wriggle around, his face one of amusement, his eyes never leaving hers. "I take it this means you're more than ready to get out of here, right?"

Her hand immediately recalled her action; once the red haze around his body dissipated, his feet hit the floor. He easily remained in balance on impact, having anticipated the action. What he hadn't anticipated was the arms sliding around his neck almost immediately after, or the face now buried in his shoulder. Nevertheless, he wrapped his arms around her back, holding onto her as she shook with unreleased sobs.

For her to cry openly now would be an insult to her pride. Yet, to see the one vocal person ( _All right, I think we've seen enough_ ), the one standing up for her again and again ( _Cap sent me to get you_ ), the one whom she had fought for and been captured because of ( _I'm sorry, Vision_ ), here, rescuing her and the others who were now standing behind him was a reassurance that was badly needed. The others weren't looking in their direction, likely trying to give them privacy. That, and searching for their equipment and whatever else they could get their hands on.

She had teammates. Her teammates stood with her, and believed in her. Her teammates ( _he_ ) were getting her out of this.

"Thank you," she whispered to him, too overcome to say anything else and to move from where she was.

"I should apologize," she heard Captain America say. "I should have told you not to worry. I always come back for family."

 _Family_. She had lost her brother, and the team she had originally joined had been split apart and pitted against each other. In trying to save lives, she had inadvertently cost several more. However, she still had family, particularly this one whom she was clinging desperately to. He hadn't given up on her. He hadn't tried to lock her away. He sent someone to help break her out, and then come help. Now, he was here to rescue her, because he still believed in her, because he thought she was family. She hadn't felt this protected since before, a long time ago. Sure, her brother and she had worked together to survive, to ensure they'd be alive, but that wasn't close to knowing someone was protecting you and watching over you, their choosing to do so. All she had were faint memories of her father, before he had been killed, but she felt deeply that the man before her was acting as a father would, as a father should. She would not let him down.

"I'm ready," she whispered, and she felt him nod in return. Simultaneously, they released each other, and as if they sensed it the other teammates abruptly turned to join their move towards the exits.

"Hey, Cap." She turned to see Falcon looking at the super soldier, up and down, in an appraising manner. "I thought something looked strange. Where's your shield?"

"I might have _misplaced_ it," Captain America said, pausing in place. "I don't have it anymore."

"Because of your last fight with Stark, right? You going to replace it?"

"Not sure with what," Steve admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, I grabbed a gun from one of these guys here, but it's nothing close to my shield. Guess I'll just have to make do until I figure something out."

"We do have a place to hole up, meanwhile." The Winter Soldier, a.k.a. Bucky, entered through an exit to her right, as she and the others minus Steve turned to look. He carried four duffel bags in total "I took care of the docking areas down there, but I don't have time to do the helipad. I overheard on the radio that reinforcements are coming. We need to move." He tossed one bag to Falcon and the other to Ant-Man, keeping the last bags he brought up at his side. The exclamations from said team members were a good indicator of what they had received.

"Agreed," Captain America said. "Let's go."

"What are in the other duffels?" Wanda asked, gesturing to the Winter Soldier.

"Various odds and ends that we might need," Captain America said. "One of which is clothes. I'm sure you guys would prefer your own garb to that of what you're wearing right now. However, changing can be done on the way. Our ride is up top. Let's move!"

Running towards the exit with the others, she kept pace with the super soldier. She was glad that she had left her house arrest. With Captain America looking out for her, she was safe. She was family. She was home.

Not to mention, double checking the crevices and rooms on either side to ensure nothing happened to him in the meantime was added insurance to that feeling of security.


	2. Chapter 2

_It really does help to see the movie twice over. Not only do I love it more than ever, still remain on Cap's side, yadda yadda yadda, it gave me a chance to verify that I'm using the right quotes - for the most part. If something doesn't sound right, well you know how to leave a review. I'm waiting until next week, when I'll go with my brother. Hooray for $5 Tuesdays!_

 _P.S. Thanks for the immediate reviews, all. I was able to fix this relatively quickly._

 _Disclaimer: Not ever mine, not ever ever mine... sniff..._

The silence of the room, the entire building, seemed like it was collapsing onto Wanda, one at a time. Vision was trying to make her feel at home, trying to talk to her and start conversations, but since he had informed her of what had happened, she wasn't in a talking mood.

Maybe they were right. Maybe she was too dangerous to be let out and around. She couldn't help feeling curious, though. Tony had agreed with the Sokovia accord from the beginning, so likely he had agreed or decided on this. What about Captain America? She hadn't heard anything from him, not since he'd left a couple days ago, for a funeral she had heard. Black Widow? Falcon? Who else knew about her being confined to the Avengers Tower? Did everyone know and agree with the decision? Even if they didn't, would they even bother to argue the decision?

BOOM. An explosion lit the edge of the property. She felt Vision materialize behind her, say something about checking it out, and leave. She continued to stare out the window when she felt a presence approach her from behind. Almost immediately, she summoned a knife with her powers, turned around and as she did, whipped the knife out of the cutting board, and sent it flying towards that unknown presence.

"Guess I should've knocked."

"Oh, my God." She let the knife drop to the floor. "What are you doing here?"

"Disappointing my kids. We were supposed to go waterskiing." He turned to the right, shot an arrow that fastened itself to the pillar. He repeated the action, this time to the left, and again the arrow attached itself to the pillar. He then turned to here

"Cap needs our help." So she hadn't been forgotten about. Not only that, but he wanted her enough to be rescued. She was worth rescuing. "Come on!" She almost immediately joined him in his job towards the exit.

"Clint!"

Or was she? With all that collateral damage she had caused, inadvertent though it was, contributing to this mess...

"I thought you had retired."

"Yeah, well I retire for five minutes, and it all goes to shit." Vision was still walking towards them when suddenly, the two arrows caught him in a sort of force field.

"Okay, we gunna go," Clint turned and whispered to her, making a beeline for the exit. She still hadn't moved, and wasn't sure she would, even as she turned to gaze at Clint's retreating back. He was close to the opposite wall when he turned and caught her gaze.

"The exit's this way." He gestured with both arms. She dropped her gaze. She wasn't worth all of this.

"I've caused enough problems." I've been in the way enough. I helped trigger the Accords. Why should any of you bother to keep trying? She heard him sigh (likely rolled his eyes too), before jogging back in her direction. She redirected her gaze from the floor to him.

"Look, you can either go to high school, and sit around and mope. Or you can get off your ass." His gaze then went beyond her, followed by an,"Oh, shit!"

The buzzing noise had been abruptly interrupted by a sharp zap, and she could hear Vision's footsteps echo behind her. She turned, Clint putting his arm out in front of her. Almost amusing, really, given that Vision was more powerful than him, but she appreciated the sentiment. Then, Clint ran at Vision. Vision extended his arms, pushing Clint all the way back.

"Knew I should've stretched today," she heard him say, extending a collapsible baton before charging at Vision once more. She placed a hand over her mouth, watching the two go at it, watching her family tearing itself apart in front of her. Sadly, however, Clint was outmatched by Vision's abilities, so outmatched it wasn't funny. She would have to make a choice soon. Which one was the right one? Stay here and hope that people would fear her less, or leave, become an outlaw?

Suddenly, she realized that it wasn't really a question about how she wanted others to see her. Sure, less fear from others would be nice, but her team, most of them, anyway, didn't fear her. Steve certainly didn't, and neither did Clint. The real question was, which fear was holding her back, others' fear, or her own? The important people in her life didn't fear her, so it was only her holding herself back. Why she feared herself, for so long, that could be answered another time.

It was time to choose, and she was tired of fearing herself.

"Clint, you cannot overpower me." Vision said, bending over Clint, holding the human in a headlock. Wanda quickly sidestepped in order to position herself behind him.

"I know I can't," Clint mumbled, before gesturing to her with his head, showing her he had been tracking her movements. "But she can."

"Vision, let him go," Wanda commanded. Her voice had trembled slightly at the beginning before she steadied it, like Steve had taught her. Her hands brought her power to bear upon the sentient machine's body, bringing his limbs to listen to her silent command. He reluctantly released Clint, one arm at a time, as his body was forced to yield to a half-bridge bend/half-strong-armed combination, collecting on the floor. A small ball of pure energy grew between her hands as her hands furthered in distance, increasing the intensity. She had never known that she could do this to Vision, but she had no other choice.

"If you do this, they will never stop being afraid of you." His tone was sad, acting all knowing in its solemnity. It was too similar to Ultron's, to Tony Stark's. It only confirmed to her the validity of the choice she had just made. Neither Clint nor Steve, especially not Steve, would ever sound like that.

"I can't control their fear, only my own," she said, energizing the ball of red energy. The floor began to crumble underneath Vision as her power continued to force him to bend, just before she flew the ball into his chest. He was immediately driven down, down, through the floors, past the gym, the entertainment area, far into the ground below even the basement level. He was out of commission for now. She felt Clint move beside her to get a better view, then move off - again - towards the exit.

This time, she followed without hesitation.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you, reviewers! I'm glad you're enjoying this. I should go back and watch the movie a third time, just to get more story ideas. Besides, I get to see all the action and interaction between Steve and_ _Wanda. He acts like such a parent; it's great to watch him with his team. Not to mention Ant-Man's reaction to meeting him! I don't know how I can wait for the DVD to come out..._

 _Disclaimer: You know it all... It is not mine... It is not mine... It is not mine..._

Wanda ran through the screaming masses in the marketplace, heading towards the source of the disturbance where they were attempting to scatter from. Panicky people weren't always the smartest, however, which explained the packed exits and trampled bodies. Via Redwing, Sam had found Captain America's position, fighting Crossbones. Alone. Initially, it had looked like Steve might have been over his head on this one, but Sam kept monitoring the fight, and kept updating her as she ran toward the coordinates he gave her.

When she got there, she found herself staring at Cap's back. He was breathing heavily, alive although his suit obviously had seen better days. Crossbones was at his feet, the mask having been knocked off right before said guy collapsed at Rogers's feet. He had been given as good as he had given. Those who were trying to escape but couldn't, huddled as far away from the two men as they could.

She quickly tore her gaze away from them to focus on their team leader and his captive, keeping in mind the lessons drilled in her head to be vigilant, focused on the scene and on the criminal in front of her. Something felt off to her, the more she looked at the two, hearing them talk. Crossbones was talking about Bucky, with Captain America paying close attention, and while she couldn't hear every word he was saying, she could get a better vantage point. Moving off toward Cap's left, she got barely a glimpse of the man's body before she understood what was causing her to feel uneasy. The man's hand was grasping something, his thumb poised just above it.

"And you're comin' with me." Her mind quickly processed those words as she saw his thumb move _down_. Oh no. Not again. She would not allow it. As bad enough as it was to lose her twin, it would be even worse to watch her mentor go the same route. She had the power, and she was present. She could and _would_ ensure it would not happen.

Even as the explosion began to unfold in front of her, her mind and hands worked simultaneously to form a barrier around him, protecting Steve from the impact of the blast. She was fortunate to have thought of planting her feet wide apart, for the strain of having to do so had quickly come to bear on her as soon as she had captured it.

Suddenly, she began to sense an overload even as she began to reinforce the barriers around the man's body in order to contain the blast. It may have been triggered outside his body, but Crossbones had enough wiring and explosives around and _inside_ to not just take out Steve, but also the entire marketplace. Having been triggered, it was exploding at a fast enough rate and gaining power (feeding on itself? More than likely) fast enough where she was struggling to contain it.

Where to put it? She was struggling enough to contain it, let alone try to transport it a distance. Neither side worked because, well, innocent bystanders. And Steve; enough said on both counts. That left the sky.

Summoning all she had, she took her powers and, in throwing up her arms, propelled it up into the sky. She released it, seeing it explode up there - and realized too late her mistake. As it blew up, making itself a larger and larger fireball raining down debris, it took out the windows, some _entire_ floors, of the building several meters from where she was. At her count, at _least_ seventeen floors burned to a fiery crisp, and more were just getting started. She covered her mouth in horror. What had she done? She couldn't even look in Captain America's direction, for shame of what she had caused.

"Sam… we're going to need… fire, EMS…" With a start, she realized that was Steve talking, his voice choked with emotion. She continued to look up, now shock stilling her reaction to his words. What could they do, after what she had done? Would the locals even welcome their help, especially hers, especially because of what she had done?

"Come on. They need our help." Steve's voice floated close to her ear, a hand lightly clasping her shoulder, before he went on in. She looked askance at his retreating back. Was there even a point now? After all, even he could clearly see the damage caused. They'd be lucky enough to make it to those floors, even more fortunate that no supporting columns had been blown out causing the upper part of the building to collapse.

 _They are civilians. We have powers and abilities that they don't. If we are able to, we need to help where we can_. That is what he had said back when she'd asked him, after the incident with Sokovia. Obviously, it still rang true today. Pushing her shock and horror deep, deep down, she started jogging on after him.

True, she couldn't undo what she did, but she could try to make up for it. Besides, Steve needed someone to keep an eye on him while helping fish the civilians out of that mess.


	4. Chapter 4

_Wow, the weeks have passed on by fast! Last week, my town held a Chocolate Fest, and I volunteered for it and baked something for it. Didn't win a prize, but it was fun, and now I know how to make a cheesecake! Anyways, here's the new chapter. Enjoy!_

 _Disclaimer: Not mine, not at all... Just let me borrow a character here, and a character there..._

Wanda was in her room, staring at the television. Images of the death and destruction she had caused were paraded before her eyes, forcing themselves in her brain - as if she could forget what she had caused. The chatter from the TV only reinforced the terrible pictures. She allowed it all to run past her, to sink in. How could she have let something like this happen?

"What reason do we have to not restrain someone like Wanda Maximoff, someone with extraordinary power - "

"- as fire and EMS rushed onto the scene - "

"- the Avengers should be held responsible. If not now, then when? Are -"

Suddenly, the sound was cut in half, and she knew for certain that someone was in her room. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she saw Steve Rogers lean against her door in a pose that she could only describe as a _dad_ pose. It partly lifted her spirits, almost brought a smile to her face, almost was comforting enough, but knowing what was playing before her on the tv was enough to halt it all. She had caused the deaths of several people, something that the whole world was ripping into her for, and she could not blame them. It was something she shouldn't not feel sorry for.

"It's my fault," she said.

"That's not true," she heard him say. It was also something she shouldn't be comforted for, especially when some of the deaths were children.

"Turn the TV back on," she responded, turning to look at him briefly. "They're being _very_ specific." He didn't flinch when her eyes landed on him, and inwardly she didn't expect him to. After 70 years on ice, and especially after going through that mess with Ultron (coming out leading them all in the fight!), he wouldn't flinch. He was definitely tough to crack, and likely the reason he was their team leader.

"I was the team leader. I should have checked the guy out for any weapons or explosives." She maintained eye contact with him as he came closer before sitting, positioning himself to be adjacent to her as they both sat on her bed. "Then Rumlow said 'Bucky,' and suddenly I was that 16-year-old boy from Brooklyn again. It's on me." She could understand. Remembering her twin's death every night was enough to shatter her, forcing herself into insomnia in order to be whole again before the morning came and another day of training presented itself in all its useful, yet _grueling_ , glory. Distractedly, she thought it was interesting that he could still beat all of them, even after being what he'd been through. Here, though, he was trying to comfort her, in his own way. She was still determined to not let him take it all on himself.

"It's on both of us." She turned her head to the side, tearing her eyes from his face. As reassuring and comforting as it was to know that he stood up for her and was even willing to shoulder the blame, she wouldn't let him. Despite still being relatively new to this business, she had gone out on the mission with the others, trusted to be able to carry herself as each member was expected to. She failed at the end, and that was her fault. Just because her trainer got caught up in the mess didn't mean she was instantly absolved.

"This job… We try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody, but if we can't find a way to live with that…" She looked down to grip the sheets - hard - with her hands. This would remain a sore spot for her, she knew, and the day hadn't even finished yet. He took a deep breath and continued. "Next time... maybe no one can be saved."

She looked up after he had finished saying that, finding his eyes once again, out of desperation. Would she ever come to terms with it? _Was_ it ever okay to come to terms with what she had committed? Even after what she had done, could she still be part of the team? Meeting his eyes with hers, she saw both a mutual understanding and an unspoken promise. Even after being frozen on ice for 70 years, he never forgot what he had witnessed, and he still continued to fight. He was steady, a rock that she could rely on in this time of shame and uncertainty. If he had made it through what he had, still remaining true to his prinicples and a hero to America and to the world, she could too. A sore spot it was, and likely would remain so, but he wouldn't let her go through it alone.

She was thankful that he had come to talk to her.

Out of nowhere, Vision materialized in front of them, wearing that sweater vest she had talked him into wearing. Not that it didn't look good on him, but seriously...

"Viz! We talked about this!"


	5. Chapter 5

_Update: A slacker, I am, and need improving, I do. I intended to write this and perhaps one more chapter before a final epilogue of these shorts a year ago. Now that I've come back to writing (yes, a full_ year _later), I will finish this. At least one more chapter will follow to this series._

 _Disclaimer: Still not mine. If it was, Cap would still have his shield. *sniff*_

Captain America - Steve - was in a cubicle-style office. The glass sides allowed him to see the activity going on in the room around him, the multitude of desks and people at those desks doing their various tasks. The entire room was soundproofed enough where he couldn't hear what was going on outside the room, but he didn't care at the moment. Tony had just come in. Even talking to the guy now was awkward, for the both of them if he was reading Tony correctly. He had brought in the pens from Howard's archives, a memory for Steve but objects for Tony. The effort Tony was making to try and mend things was touching, and Tony would be sure to laugh his ass off if Steve ever said that to his face. Sure, he was also trying to sell Steve on these accords, but he obviously wanted the team to come back together, to reunite even if it meant being under the jurisdiction of the UN. A decisive and democratic ruling body, it was not. For the Avengers to be under their thumb would be the equivalent of committing career suicide. If they submitted under it together though, maybe they could shake it off together? Tony was looking at him expectantly, his gaze practically pleading with him to agree to this. Maybe… maybe changes could be made, after the signing. Maybe this could work out after all. Bucky was safe with them now, and that was what had gotten Sam and him into this mess in the first place.

"I'm not saying that it can't be done." He twisted the pen between his fingers, deep in thought. He had to be careful what he said next. "But there'll have to be limitations."

"Sure." Tony wasn't leaning forward, but the renewed energy in his voice acted as the equivalent. He obviously _really_ wanted unity of the team behind this motion, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Steve almost felt bad for causing the mess he had. Almost. What was the old saying? 'Make new friends, but keep the old.' He never wanted to let any friend of his down, and Bucky was the oldest friend he had. But, Bucky was here, with them instead of dead or in a Wakandan prison. If this meant Bucky would have the treatment he needed, he could concede and sign along with the other Avengers. He could hear Tony continue speaking and focused again on his friend.

"Once we put out the PR," Tony continued, "there's documents that can be amended. I file a motion have you and Wanda reinstated." Steve's ears perked up at that, along with his conscience. With his abrupt departure from the Avengers tower, he hadn't talked to anyone from the team save Sam and Nat… and now Tony. He also remembered, with a guilty twinge, that he had rushed out of the meeting with the other team members with barely an explanation. The poor kid… she probably felt abandoned. He had been the only one to openly take her side after all. Wait - why would she need to be reinstated?

"Wanda? What about Wanda?" She wasn't here; she hadn't joined him to find Bucky. He had his suspicions as to why she'd need to be reinstated, aka the whole reason for the Sokovia accords.

"She's fine. She's confined in the compound currently. Vision's keeping her company." Wait, _what_? Confined? Vision guarding her made sense, but… they shouldn't be imprisoning one of their own. Not even if it would help getting the accords signed. If they were worried about her that much, they should have asked for her to appear before them previous to the signing. Now _his_ guilty feelings were compounded. Only fair. Steve rolled his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Oh God, Tony! Every time. Every time I think you're seeing things the right way…" How could a man so intelligent and so bright (his wealth proof enough of that) think this was going to work? Sure, she might be compliant and willing to do anything now due to her guilt, but that was no reason to use her guilt to keep her under lock and key.

"It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people." Really? That was his excuse? The FBI gave better reasoning when forcing their informants into hiding. And that was to continue their cases against criminals! Here, Wanda was being treated as a criminal having to be proven innocent.

"Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's _internment_ , Tony." Did Wanda know? Had she tried to escape, or was guilt holding her back? Ho pefully she knew that _he_ didn't see - treat - her that way.

"She's not a US Citizen and they don't grant visas to Weapons of Mass Destruction." Steve was appalled that Tony would see the youngest of their team that way. What about Thor and Banner? Were they Weapons of Mass Destruction too? Besides, at least Thor and Banner had grown into their powers enough where they were easily controlled. Wanda still struggled with the extent of her powers in training. And they were _growing_.

"She's A KID!" The words burst out of him like hot air. He hated spouting things off just for the sake of doing so, compared to Stark. However, his temper was growing with every word of the conversation. Take away the fact that she was female, from a different time period, and he saw his sixteen-year-old self back in the '40s. He meant what he had told her earlier, about his reaction to what Rumlow had said about Bucky. What he had left out that her mistake - leading to innocent deaths - had also reminded him of that same sixteen-year-old. How he had tried - and failed - in some of the battles he had ended up leading. He had been young with a lot of responsibility thrust onto his shoulders. Wanda likewise was young with a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. More than anyone, he understood what she was going through.

"GIVE ME A BREAK!" Stark yelled, surprising Steve. He took a closer look at his friend. The situation with Pepper must have really gotten to him, for him to agree to all this. That… and the pressure they were facing now with the Sokovia Accords. "I'm doing what has to be done... to save us from something worse." Steve shook his head. Their team was being split apart by these demands from the countries, countries that had no stake or care in the issues the United States faced and dealt. A member of _his_ team was imprisoned because of these accords. What could be worse than this? He looked down at the pen in his fingers. He remembered Roosevelt's signing like it was yesterday. History really _did_ repeat itself.

"You keep telling yourself that." He wondered how long it would be before Stark would see the truth. The countries of the world didn't want peace - they wanted to keep an eye on the Avengers. Their activities in helping stabilize the world recently gave many of the countries that signed the accords a reason to want the superheroes on a short leash. "I'd hate to break up a set." Which was no less true. He had grown to cherish his friendship with the younger Stark. The camaraderie shared between the two of them had grown less strained and more free-flowing between the two of them - Stark ever the sarcastic one, and he the more serious one.

However, Wanda's freedom was on the line. Along with their team's ability to be the team the world needed them to be. He was going to miss his friendship with Tony, but he couldn't let Wanda down. Bucky - his best friend would still be admitted to the psychiatric center. He would be safe, and he would be okay. Wanda might not be, if the accords were amended the way the other governments wanted them. Compared to Bucky, she needed him more. He dropped the pen onto the desk, feeling the weight of history settle even more firmly on his shoulders. Good thing his shoulders were broad enough to take it. He headed out of the room, hoping the psychologist's evaluation of Bucky wouldn't take too long. He would need to pay the Avengers tower a visit afterward.


	6. Chapter 6

_One more chapter to follow, as an epilogue. I hope this makes sense. I figured something had to have happened for Black Widow to officially be on the run. Black Panther can't make accusations against Black Widow without some sort of proof, before it turning into a he-said,she-said issue. They're members of the same, UN-recognized organization. There has to be official proof of her turning on a team member. Plus, Black Widow would still maintain plausible deniability in order to make good on her escape. This is still in Germany, getting the prisoners loaded up onto a transport on a direct course to the Raft prison. No passing Go. No collecting $200._

 _Disclaimer: If I was in charge, Cap would've never dropped his shield. EVER. It's his equipment, and he needs it for Infinity War!_

Black Widow had been entrusted to help move Wanda to her cell on the prison transport, heading straight to the Raft prison. With the inhibitor on her neck keeping her powers in check, she was told she had nothing to worry about. Were they forgetting she had been trained in hand-to-hand combat? By Captain America _himself_?

Then again, maybe this was the punishment given to her by Tony. Maybe Black Panther had told Tony about her actions, and she was doing this being completely watched the entire time. The Wakandan had make a quick disappearance afterwards, probably to scrub for footage of the incident in order to properly oust her. That's what she would have done. She _knew_ she should have made another check of the hangar bay before firing on Panther. Maybe this was a test. Maybe the inhibitor wasn't even there. She took another quick glance.

… Maybe she was a _little_ paranoid.

One arm hooked around the other girl's waist, she guided Wanda to her cell. She was acting completely submissive for having put up such a fight earlier. Without their fearless leader, they behaved themselves. Sam had even allowed the "bird costume" to be taken off of him without so much as a peep (pun intended). Clint wasn't as snarky as usual. This... Ant-Man, as he called himself, she had caught him ogling her. Must be new; too bad she hadn't enough time to properly "educate" him. Steve would have enjoyed witnessing it, she thought absently.

"Meals will likely be at 8 and 5," she said, sitting the girl down on her bed. "There are cameras," she pointed above at each of the two corners she was facing, and then to the one above the doorway, "monitoring everything you do. Sound is constantly fed to their security team in real time as well. If you step out of line, they will take you down, and not as gently as we just did. And this is all before you even get to the Raft prison." A ghost of a smile wisped around the girl's lips.

"I see." No other comment, nothing snarky to say, just those two words.

"So," Natasha continued, disliking the enveloping silence, "you and Vision. How long?"

"Not until recently, just before -" Wanda's voice cracked briefly, and then she continued, "- before Laos." Poor girl. Natasha nodded, still looking down at the seated girl.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sorry too." Wanda gave a wan smile in return. "Especially considering you and Steve were -"

"No," Natasha said abruptly. Wanda gave her a questioning look.

"So, you two weren't… aren't…"

"No, we're," she cleared her throat, "we're just teammates." Now the questioning look became a raised eyebrow. Natasha turned away briefly to look at the opposite wall, wondering if she miscounted the cameras. Just in case. "Friends."

"Right." _Now_ there was the sarcasm. Natasha turned back to see a brief smirk flit across the kid's face. She felt the corners of her mouth slightly upturn in response.

"Do you know how long I'll be there?" The assassin sighed.

"For a while." She hadn't been privy to that information, and probably would never be now. "There'll be the usual screenings and tests run, and of course cameras and sound systems to constantly monitor you."

"Of course." Even the girl knew it would be stupid for the soldiers not to do so.

"We -" Natasha knew she had to choose her words carefully, just in case "- don't know yet how your rights as citizens of your respective countries will be considered in light of the Sokovia Accords. There may or may not be a trial. There may or may not be a release date at all. And you're in limbo, citizenship-wise, compared to everyone else, so you may -"

"I may be locked up for a lot longer." Resignation and sadness colored Wanda's voice as she looked down at her shoes. Natasha could only look on in sympathy. The kid had joined their group of superheroes to help save the world, only for that world to turn on them, and she receiving the full brunt of their wrath. Now, Wanda was locked up here, probably for forever, and with little to no hope. Meanwhile, Nat knew she had to leave now (hopefully freely). What could she tell the kid to give her something to hold on to?

Wait…

"Before I leave," Natasha said abruptly, "I just thought I should let you know. Ste - Cap and Tony were in an office together, in Berlin, after they captured the Winter Soldier and before they were to interrogate him. Tony was trying to convince Cap to sign the accords, and he was doing a good job of selling it too. It looked like he almost convinced Steve to sign them." That caught the girl's attention.

"What happened to change his mind?" she heard Wanda ask, almost sounding hesitant.

"You." She looked back to catch the girl's gaze. "You changed his mind. He knew why he had to be reinstated, but he heard that you had to be reinstated as well. He wanted to know why. Tony explained why."

"Vision told me that I was being held there so other people would be reassured with the Avengers' signing the accords." Natasha nodded.

"Yes, and that was the reasoning Stark gave to Steve. He… well, you know Cap like I do. He doesn't like leaving behind _any_ member of his team. He didn't - _couldn't_ \- accept what Tony told him, and he left. Just like that." Natasha smiled at Wanda, willing with everything she had that Wanda would listen and dwell on what she was being told. If Steve was ever captured, he reveal the rest of his reasoning to the kid. _His_ kid. She had seen the two of them grow close to the point of being inseparable after Ultron and the death of her brother. It was almost like seeing a father and his daughter work together. Seeing what Wanda had done had brought out the parent in Steve more than either of them realized, and she wanted to let Wanda know that. Clint may have had her join the Avengers in the first place, but Cap was the first to really earn her trust. If Wanda didn't have anything else to hold on to, at least she could hang onto that.

"Do... " she saw Wanda pause after speaking, considering what to say next. Good thing that her part in training the kid hadn't gone unheeded. "Do you think he will continue to think highly me?" Clumsy, but not bad. Translation: Do you think he'd be crazy enough to try to come here and rescue me?

"I wouldn't put it past him," Nat said firmly. "He sees you as family, and you helped him back when our sides collided in Germany. He will stop at nothing to continue to care for his family." Translation: Knowing Steve like I know him, he'll be en route to the Raft shortly. Hang in there a little longer.

"Thanks." The kid shifted, probably to get into a more comfortable sitting position. "Well, I know you'll be heading back, going to be busy going out and saving the world and everything else. I wish you luck." The words sounded sincere enough, and Wanda was still meeting her gaze. There'd be something to mend once the kid got out of here.

"Thanks." The Black Widow headed towards the door. "A little advice? Don't start counting the tiles. You'll be too bored to do anything else after an hour, if you don't get cross-eyed first." Once she stepped outside, she tapped the controls, closing the entrance. She looked left, and then right before exiting the prison transport. Time to make sure she still could make a quick exit.


	7. Epilogue

_Last chapter! Enjoy this epilogue, and leave me your thoughts and reviews below._

 _Disclaimer: I still don't own this._

"Wanda," Steve pressed as he came at her, "focus! Your concentration isn't here as it should be."

"Sorry!" Wanda ducked as his punched sailed above, through the empty air she had just occupied. "I'm trying!"

"Try harder!" He crouched down and threw a leg out to trip her. She noticed too late; instead of tripping and falling as a normal person, she floated above upon a cloud of her red mist.

"Hey!" Steve grinned in response; the man looked only slightly fatigued from this angle. No wonder - they'd been training for three hours now. "No powers, remember?" If it weren't for his great eyesight, he wouldn't have seen Wanda sticking out her little pink tongue at the captain.

"You told me that if I _had_ to cheat in a fight, I should!"

"Difference here, kid, is that this is _training_. I'm _supposed_ to kick your butt!" She huffed in response, but allowed herself to float back down. When her boots touched the ground, she went running in the opposite direction.

"Wanda!" Steve roared, running after her. Laughter floated up from the two up towards the viewing platform.

Black Panther stood at the railing, looking down. He would come as often as he could just to watch the two of them interact. _This was one of the few times that being a king had its perks_ , he thought. It meant he could officially take breaks to come to the training grounds and watch the two of them practice together. Today he was joined by Black Widow, and after a friendly bout to relieve the tension between the two of them (apologies were exchanged as well) they came here to observe the pair.

The energy around the two was so similar to that between a father and a daughter. He had observed Steve train the others, and while they had a familial camaraderie there was no bond of this sort. Sam and Clint and Steve were essentially brothers. Ant-Man was still a little in awe of Steve, perhaps too much. Black Widow seemed a little too happy to watch the man, as she was doing now. Wanda, however, was as if a daughter to the good captain. To be sure, she hung around Clint as well, but that was more of a brotherly/mentor bond. Steve was the father figure she lacked, the father figure she sorely needed. Steve, having had his former love pass away and no family or children of his own to speak of, seemed more than happy to take her under his wing. Literally now, as he had caught up to her and had her in a headlock. Was he really, as Americans say, giving her a noogie? She didn't appear to care, though, just continued to laugh. Up here next to him, Black Widow was softly chuckling as well.

Wanda appeared to be completely focused on the fight now, which relieved him. She had been stiff around him the first time they had met. Since then, any interactions were very formal and always around other people. He found out soon that he wasn't the only one she was awkward around. Any Wakandan she met meant she was either cold or formal bordering on ridiculousness. They kept her at arms' length. He couldn't ask any of the other former Avengers minus Captain America - Steve, as the American was persistently trying to get him to call him. It was too fast for them after the fight, and some of them distrusted his apparent goodwill. He would too if he were in their shoes so he couldn't exactly blame them, but it made getting answers extremely difficult. He had asked the captain about it a few days later, and Steve had explained. She felt responsible for the deaths her accident had caused, and she felt ostracized here because of her mistake. The Wakandans weren't inclined to let her forget, either. With time, though, came forgiveness, and with forgiveness came peace and tranquility.

"How has she been adjusting?" Black Widow finally spoke, eyes still glued down on the arena.

"With the other former Avengers, she's fine. With the Wakandans, however…" he let his voice trail off meaningfully. She barely glanced at him as she hummed an _ah_ in response.

"I'm glad to see Steve and her back together," she said, gaze yet fixed on the scene down there. Steve was now demonstrating moves to Wanda, who had all her attention fixed on her father figure as she was copying them. Which reminded him…

"As soon as she came here, freed from the Raft with the others, she attached herself to Steve's side. They've been inseparable since. He takes morning runs with Sam and practices alone with Hawkeye, but apart from that she's at his side. A good thing when they venture outside the confines of the palace together. The Wakandan people love Captain America; all they know about the Scarlet Witch is that she killed their people by accident. Best case scenario, they avoid her. Worst case scenario, the good captain has to calm an angry mob down. He's been trying to help her demonstrate her good intentions to them, one person at a time."

"Well, she'll have a lot of time to demonstrate her goodwill to your people." Sadness all but enveloped her voice, the sadness of a family ripped apart and its members trying to figure it out what to do in the aftermath. Finality as well was evident - the understanding that they could never go home again.

"You all have as much time as you need," he said, taking the time to look at her meaningfully. "Make the most of it, Natasha." He gestured down at the captain and Wanda. "I believe you have to make it up at least to the girl." He knew from experience that the best way to start moving forward was to get through the pain and awkwardness as quickly as possible. Having fought against their friends, the faster these former Avengers came together to mend their bonds the better. That included him as well, he had been forced to admit. After a couple dinners and walks, however, the others and he were at least not enemies anymore. Maybe he should start joining them for dinner more often? He made a mental note to mention it to his security detail as soon as possible.

"Thank you, your Majesty," he heard the Widow say. "I know all of us here appreciate your hospitality to us. If you need our aid, we will give it."

"Thank you. Right now, all I need is for you to continue training. Who knows what new threat will come over the horizon?" Renewed laughter broke into the conversation, and he looked down in time to see a particularly fat clod of dirt smack the captain in his face. Apparently, Wanda was back to cheating with her powers, forming balls of dirt to throw at Captain America, who was dodging almost every single one, with the exceptions splattered on the top of his head and across his chest.

"Think we should go and join them?" He glanced over and saw Black Widow perched on the railing, about to leap down. A Cheshire Cat-like grin was stretched over her face.

"You go ahead, Natasha," he gestured at his regalia. "I'm afraid I have to get back to more kingly matters at hand."

"Your loss." She smirked. He turned around to walk away, and that's when he heard a shout. Instinctively, he turned back around.

In retrospect, he really _should_ have anticipated that he'd become a target. No, at least it wasn't mud that hit, otherwise it would _never_ come out.


End file.
